Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Legendary former NFL coach Bill Belichick has reportedly failed to win immediate entry into the Hall of Fame, reports said Tuesday, a stunning snub that triggered uproar throughout American football. Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as head coach of the New England Patriots during the Tom Brady era and two more as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, failed to secure the required 40 of 50 votes to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first ballot inductee.
The 73-year-old is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the NFL, but his career was also tinged with controversy, notably the 2007 “Spygate” scandal, when he was fined a record $500,000 after the Patriots were caught illegally filming signals by opposing coaches during games. Belichick’s Patriots were also caught in the “Deflategate” scandal in 2015, when quarterback Brady was eventually suspended for ordering the deliberate deflation of game balls to make them easier to manipulate.
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ESPN reported that those two scandals had come up during deliberations amongst Hall of Fame voters at a meeting on January 13. “It really bothered some of the guys,” one of the Hall of Fame voters was quoted by the network as saying. Entering the Hall of Fame on the first ballot — the earliest opportunity — is traditionally seen as an honor reserved for the elite of the NFL, in recognition of an individual’s status as one of the game’s all-time greats. Belichick’s dazzling record of achievement led many to believe he was a certainty to be selected in the first attempt.
ESPN quoted friends of the veteran coach, who left the Patriots in 2024, as saying Belichick was “disappointed” at failing to secure the necessary number of votes. “Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?” Belichick was quoted as telling an associate, according to ESPN. “What does a guy have to do?”
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s selection committee is made up of 50 voters, drawn largely from the media. A nominee must obtain 80 percent of votes cast to enter the Hall of Fame. Belichick’s snub left players, coaches, and commentators in disbelief. “Insane…don’t even understand how this could be possible,” the Kansas City Chiefs’ superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes wrote on X. Former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Torrey Smith called for those who voted against Belichick to be barred from voting in the future.
“In the most respectful way possible, a lot of people who have power shouldn’t,” Smith wrote. “Whoever messed this up should lose their voting privileges.” Former Houston Texans defensive star JJ Watt was similarly aghast. “I can’t be reading this right,” Watt wrote in a social media post. “This has to be some knock-off Hall of Fame or something; it can’t be the actual NFL Hall of Fame. There is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer.”
The sense of outrage also extended to the NBA, where LeBron James expressed incredulity at the decision. “Man there’s no way I read that right! Right? Ain’t no WAY Bill Belichick ain’t 1st Ballot HOF!! That’s IMPOSSIBLE, EGREGIOUS, and quite frankly DISRESPECTFUL!” James wrote. Veteran NFL journalist Gary Myers, a member of the Hall of Fame voting pool whose books include “Brady vs Belichick: The Dynasty Debate,” was also critical of the decision.
“As a @ProFootballHOF voter, I believe in full transparency: I voted for Bill Belichick and I am embarrassed for our 50-member committee that the greatest coach in NFL history is not a first ballot HOFer and some voters apparently felt he deserved to be punished for Spygate,” Myers wrote on X.
© 2024 AFP
